Market Liaison Brings Unique Skills and Experience to His Role

Jay Brogelman’s path to long-term care began after he completed a rotation in the activities department during his last year as an Occupational Therapy Assistant student. From there, he started his career as a COTA in the Therapy Department at North Shore Healthcare’s center, Cedarburg Health Services.

“Making the connection with residents and their families was the most rewarding aspect as a treating therapist.”

After three years in that role, Jay transitioned to Rehab Director for another North Shore center, Oakwood Health Services. He loved his job there, and especially enjoyed working with the team at Oakwood. During his ten years as Oakwood’s Rehab Director, Jay enjoyed the multi-disciplinary interaction between Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, nursing and other clinical staff on a daily basis. By having the opportunity to assist in directing care, Jay shed new light on the impact he could have in helping residents reach their health goals.

Two years ago, a new opportunity opened up and Jay transitioned to a Market Liaison role for Oakwood Health Services. He recalls, “I saw it as a good opportunity to challenge myself and expand my skillset as a therapist, while maintaining my ability to interact with perspective residents and their families.” Jay could use his experience in rehabilitation to make the transition for new residents to their center more comfortable, and to paint a good picture of what their stay at the center would look like.

Jay says he owes a lot of thanks to Kelly Goodman, OTR, his first regional manager when he was a rehab director.  She encouraged him to think outside the box and taught him the value of patient advocacy in a leadership role. She taught him that it was “ok” to be uncomfortable and to find ways to grow from it. “My experience with her leadership encouraged me to try new things and gave me the confidence to be successful in multiple roles within my profession.”

“The most rewarding part of my job now is helping prospective residents and their families make the transition from their current situation to our skilled nursing center. Being a good resource for our community and its residents and being part of a team that truly strives to provide the best care in the industry is what I enjoy most about my Market Liaison position.”